/blog / guide
Game server hosting in 2026: PufferPanel + Hetzner is hard to beat
The DIY stack for hosting Minecraft, Palworld, Valheim and friends without paying a managed-host markup.
- guide
- game-servers
- hetzner
- minecraft
Managed game-server hosts charge a 3-4× markup over what you’d pay running the same stack yourself. If you’re hosting for a community of friends, the DIY route saves real money.
The stack
A Hetzner CX32 (4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, ~€8/mo) running PufferPanel — an open-source game-server control panel with templates for the major titles. PufferPanel handles process management, Docker isolation, scheduled backups, and a friendly web UI for non-technical members of your community.
Capacity planning
A CX32 comfortably runs:
- A Minecraft Java server with 12-15 concurrent players
- A Palworld server with 16 players
- A Valheim Plus server with 10 players
Run any two of these simultaneously by giving each its own Docker resource limit.
What you give up
DDoS protection equivalent to a managed game host. For a friends-and-family server, this is fine. For a public Minecraft network, pay the host.
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